Wide Receiver

By Omar Kelly , Staff writer The Miami Dolphins have claimed receiver Armon Binns off waivers from the Bengals. The acquisition, which was first reported by Bengals.com, adds a speedy receiver to a speed deprived team. Binns, who was waived on Saturday, started five of the Bengals first six games. Since then, he's played just 17 snaps and hasn't caught a pass. Binns, a second-year veteran, has 18 catches for 210 yards and a touchdown on the season. To make room for Binns the Dolphins must waive one of the 53 players on the active roster.

Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace understands all the questions about the deep ball. He's sick of hearing them, but he understands. People want to know why Wallace and quarterback Ryan Tannehill connect on a long pass after an entire season playing together, but yet backup quarterback Matt Moore can complete a 54-yard pass to backup wide receiver Damian Williams and they've only played together a few weeks. "It's cool," Wallace said of the questions about the deep ball. "It's part of the territory.

The FAU program has only player from Fletcher High in program history - Jason Pugh. Kalib Woods is about to make that two. Woods committed to the Owls Tuesday, giving coach Carl Pelini's team a six-foot-three target to go along with - or more likely learn from - a talented core heading into 2013. Along with William Dukes, who had just shy of 1,000 yards this season and set a new FAU single-game record for receiving yards, the Owls are expected to start Alabama transfer Duron Carter, walk-on standout Jenson Stostask, steady presence Daniel McKinney and tight end Nexon Dorvilus.

Broncos third-stringer, Tim Tebow, came in to the fray yesterday but not at his usual spot on the field. Tebow came into Sunday's game against the Bengals as a wide receiver when, according to BleacherReport.com, Eddie Royal left the game with a groin injury. As the site reports, "The Broncos came into the game without Brandon Lloyd (groin) and Demaryius Thomas (Achilles). Hence, Tebow, all 6'3" and 236 pounds of him, was next in line, more as an emergency backup than as a means of placating Denver's feisty fanbase.

FAU's leading receiver against Miami in Friday's 34-6 loss wasn't William Dukes or Nexon Dorvilus - it was their former No.1 quarterback, Melvin German. German caught three passes for 34 yards Friday, and while all three catches came after the game was already decided, the performance impressed FAU coach Carl Pelini, who made the decision to switch German's position 10 days before the season opened. "I think Melvin is a natural talent at receiver and I think he's going to be really good for us," Pelini said.

BOCA RATON — FAU is deep at the wide receiver position. Eight, nine, perhaps even 10 players could rotate into Saturday's matchup at Middle Tennessee State and it wouldn't change the Owl offense. Overall, the wide receiver position might be the deepest on a shallow FAU team. It doesn't seem like a problem, but it is. While the other FAU position coaches are having problems finding players to match the production of their starters, wide receivers coach Jeff Sims is having trouble finding top-flight college wide outs among his deep group.

Jay McCants nodded fervently as Jeff Sims made his sales pitch Sunday afternoon. McCants knew Sims, who coached him at Indiana in 2011, and it was obvious that whatever Sims told McCants Sunday in the tunnels of FAU Stadium rang true. The six-foot-four wide receiver, kicked off the Indiana football team earlier this month for a violation of team rules, became an Owl Wednesday, practicing with his new team for the first time after transferring to the school. McCants will redshirt his sophomore season after the transfer, leaving him three years of eligibility at FAU. A two-star rated recruit out of Ohio, McCants wore No. 15 at his first day of FAU practice.

Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline is close to signing a multi-year deal that would pay him around $6 to $6.5 million per season, according to Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com. Such a deal would still leave the Dolphins, who had about $44 million to spend in free agency, enough money to sign a top-tier wide receiver such as Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace or Green Bay's Greg Jennings. Despite the FOXSports.com story, another NFL source said the Hartline deal might not be as imminent as it seems.

INDIANAPOLIS - There's no reason for the Miami Dolphins to emerge from this year's draft without a play-making wide receiver. Because while this class doesn't have the high-profile, superstar game-changers that will go among the first 10 picks, it's full of big, fast guys - Cal's Keenan Allen, Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson, Louisiana Tech's Quinton Patton, Baylor's Terrance Williams, for example -- who almost break the mold for the position....

DAVIE - It's tough to say who the Dolphins will select with the No. 19 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday. It's easier to say who the Dolphins won't select. The Dolphins won't draft a quarterback, running back, punter, kicker, defensive end, center, left tackle or defensive tackle in the first round. And it's unlikely they'd draft a guard unless it's Notre Dame's Zack Martin, who played tackle but might project as a guard in the NFL. That leaves right tackle, tight end, wide receiver, linebacker, cornerback and safety as the most likely first-round picks for the Dolphins.

Sammy Watkins isn't the only Clemson wide receiver in heavy demand from NFL teams. Clemson junior wide receiver Martavis Bryant and Watkins both worked out for the St. Louis Rams on Friday on campus with coach Jeff Fisher, general manager Les Snead and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in attendance. Bryant's visit list includes the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steeelers and Detroit Lions. Bryant could help the Dolphins get younger at the receiver position.

PLANTATION - Miramar cornerback Tyrek Cole described it as a dream come true. Monarch wide receiver Calvin Ridley called it a chance to compete against the best. But when American Heritage quarterback Torrance Gibson received his invitation to The Opening, it came almost as a relief. Gibson, who is regarded as one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterback prospects in the Class of 2015, was expecting a ticket to this summer's premier high school football showcase event at Nike's World Headquarters in Oregon, but nothing was guaranteed after a few up-and-down weeks of 7-on-7 tournaments.

RIVIERA BEACH - Devin Hester, the ex-Chicago Bears specialist whose 18 kickoff and punt return touchdowns are the best in NFL history, seems excited by the possibility of playing for the Dolphins. “I would love to play for the Dolphins,” Hester said Saturday from his USA Football FUNdamentals clinic at his alma mater, Rivera Beach Suncoast High School. Perhaps part of his enthusiasm is for business purposes, to create a market. Hester, the former University of Miami standout and three-time Pro Bowl selection, is a free agent.

Kiy Hester, S, DePaul Catholic (NJ) Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 200. Class: 2014 Recruiting buzz: Consensus 4-star prospect was a first-team All-State selection and helped lead his school to its first state title 1992. Finished with 56 tackles, 18 pass break-ups, five interceptions and a sack. A versatile, physical and hard-hitting player who also played wide receiver, Hester has the size and speed to be able to make an impact at a position of need for the Hurricanes. Chose Miami after considering offers from Rutgers, Michigan State, Arkansas, Boston College and Connecticut among others.

David Njoku, ATH/TE, Cedar Grove High (NJ) Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 220 Class: 2014 Recruiting buzz: A late addition to Miami's class committing just days before National Signing Day, Njoku will bring versatility to the Hurricanes having played at both tight end and wide receiver in high school. He's big, can change direction well and on film, shows the ability to shake off defenders. Was a second-team All-State selection after catching 40 passes for 981 yards and had 334 rushing yards.

There were several interesting Class of 2012 names, football-wise, in the final results of the District 12-4A track & field meet Tuesday in Miramar. Pembroke Pines Flanagan sprinter Jeremy Smith, a wide receiver on the football team, won the district title in the 100 meters with a time of 10.37. He went 10.55 in the prelims. Smith also helped Flanagan's 4x100-meter relay team to a second-place finish and he took seventh in the 200 in 22.50. The 5-foot-9, 164-pounder said Wednesday night that his priority on the next level will be to play football, but that he also plans to run track.

Cardinal Gibbons wide receiver George Rushing has committed to Wisconsin Monday night, setting him up to sign with the Badgers on Wednesday's National Signing Day. Rushing, a former Louisville commit, decommitted from the Cardinals' program after coach Charlie Strong left the school to accept the Texas job. Wisconsin, TCU and Missouri emerged as alternatives to Louisville for the 6-foot-2 Rushing following the Strong departure. Rushing tweeted Monday afternoon that Wisconsin and TCU were his final two. The Badgers are landing the No. 8 player in the Sun Sentinel's Class of 2014 Broward County recruiting rankings.

Melvin German came to FAU amid a sea of expectation and hype. He was supposed to be FAU's game-changing dual-threat quarterback - a player gifted with the speed and arm to pull FAU out of college football obscurity. It didn't work out that way, but if Friday was senior's last game as an Owl, he will leave with no regrets. German was deemed academically ineligible to play his junior season, but he worked to get his grades up...